D'yer Wanna Be A Spaceman?

The word from the International Tourism Fair is that space tours could become a reality in the foreseeable future.

Last September, a Japanese multi-millionaire became the fourth space tourist for a reported fee of US$20 million.

The good news for the rest of us is that cheaper options may become a reality. Short suborbital flights, which would allow for weightlessness for a few minutes, could be an option in another 15 years. Week-long space vacations could also be available, although the price tag would be high and the comfort factor would be low.

Meanwhile, the European Space Tourist travel group offers an affordable experience right now. A four day trip to the Cosmonaut Training Center at Star City east of Moscow features a zero-gravity simulation flights. The trip costs only 5,000 euros.